TWENTY TWO
In the second week of July, 3178, Frederic summoned his war cabinet to his house, promising a surprise for them all. A Lux-car carrying Michael, Ronald, Max, and Caitlyn cruised towards Von Raben Manor at a leisurely clip. Their lively conversation had tapered off, leaving them sitting in pleasant repose.
“I got it! He’s got Richard Fulsom’s head in a silver dog dish for us!” Ronald abruptly exclaimed.
The other passengers startled, then shared a good laugh at this ad-lib. “If that were the case, I think we’d all be out of a job,” Michael reminded them.
“Well, why do you think your dad called this meetin’, Max? The old man tells you everythin’, so fess up,” Ronald pleaded.
“I’m as puzzled as the rest of you,” Max admitted.
The conversation continued along this line until the Lux-car had arrived at Von Raben Manor. The party left the vehicle and approached the front door with a loud joviality. They were surprised to find a finely-dressed Peter Holt waiting there, a nervous expression on his handsome twenty-three-year-old face. He had been devastated by Angelina’s wounding and blamed himself for the tragedy. Though he had gone to great lengths to avoid all the Von Rabens since that night, they had heard rumors of him becoming introverted and being plagued by depression.
“Peter! It’s good to see you again, but what’re you doin’ here?” Michael asked as he offered his hand to the young man.
“Apparently CEO Von Raben wanted to see me here. Sent a Lux-car for me and everythin’,” Peter explained as he shook Michael’s hand.
“Well, in that case, we should probably head on in. You first, Max,” Ronald suggested.
Max looked taken aback, “Why should I go first?!”
“The old man might be waitin’ to throw a pie or a water bomb or somethin’ like that. You’ve got better reflexes than any of us, so you’ll be able to dodge anythin’ he throws atcha,” Ronald explained while Max and the other regarded him with humored expression.
“You really think somethin’ like that could happen?” Peter asked.
Ronald shrugged, “Ya never know.”
Approaching footsteps caught the group’s attention. They discovered Bertram approaching, two fully equipped Raven rangers in tow. “I doubt Father would call us all here to throw pies at us,” Bert reasoned.
Quick greetings were exchanged, Peter growing very uncomfortable as he faced Bert for the first time since Angelina’s maiming. The group then entered the manor house and let their eyes adjust to its relatively gloomy interior. Michael was about to speak when someone darted towards him out of the parlor, and he felt his pulse quicken with apprehension. That feeling quickly turned to utter amazement when he discovered that it was his wife bearing down on him. Anna let out a shriek of delight as she vaulted into her husband’s arms for the first time in five years. The couple did not exchange a single word; they merely joined in a deep and hungry kiss that they had been so long without.
Anna ended the kiss and squeezed her husband tight. “I’ve missed you so much, babes!” she squealed.
She looked ecstatic and relieved to be with her husband. Her appearance had changed only slightly, the biggest change being that she had cut her hair into attractive medium bob style, which her husband loved. Caitlyn latched on to her husband’s arm and together they watched with a touch of envy as Burt and Michael were then reunited with their children. The children had changed quite radically over the past eight years. James, now aged thirteen, was growing to be a strapping image of his father, inheriting his statuesque looks, gorgeous brown eyes, and charming personality. His good looks were benefitted by his lustrous caramel skin, a gift from his parents’ mixed-race paring.
Peter watched as the families and friends were reunited and felt extremely out of place. He could not for the life of him figure out why the CEO had invited him to such an intimate affair. He was just about to excuse himself and step outside when Angelina approached him. Now aged twenty, she had matured into a lovely young woman despite the injuries she had suffered years before. He suddenly realized who had invited him to the manor.
“Good to see you again,” she greeted with uncharacteristic meekness while trying very hard not to meet his gaze.
Peter put a finger under her chin, gently lifted her face to his, and learned why she had kept it hidden. The skin around her eyes was a network of thin pink scars, scars that nanites had been unable to heal. “There she is, and she’s more beautiful than ever before,” he praised.
Angelina searched the young man’s face for any trace of insincerity and could find none. “Thank you,” she said, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.
“Listen,” Peter said, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. If I’d been with you that night, you never would’ve been hurt.”
Angelina put a finger to his lips, “Shh. It’s okay, Peter. It wasn’t your fault.”
She then surprised the young man by removing her finger and kissing him squarely on the lips. It was then that Peter knew that after all those years of guilt and anguish he was finally forgiven. Better still, it appeared that Angelina was intent on resuming their romantic involvement, which had been tragically cut short nearly a decade before. A surge of potent joy and gratitude welled up in Peter, and before he realized it, he had pulled Angelina into a tight embrace.
Frederic chose this moment to appear with Daryl in tow and invite the happy group into the dining hall for a celebratory dinner. All were glad to oblige, and they eagerly followed the Veriform CEO into the dining room. There he explained how he felt that Anna and the children had been away far too long. He went on to assure everyone that he would take every conceivable measure necessary to insure their safety.
Despite the troubles still facing the Von Rabens, it was a very happy evening.
#
After they had finished at the manor, the Hartnett family returned to their townhouse. Michael spent the next several hours doting on his son, Anna looking on lovingly, her heart bursting with the purest joy. The boy was developing into something of a comedian and had his father literally choking with laughter on several occasions. Eventually James began to lose the battle with exhaustion and reluctantly turned in. Once they were certain the boy was fast asleep, his parents rushed to their bedroom. The instant the door was shut and locked they virtually attacked one another in a desperate attempt to disrobe each other. They kissed passionately as they staggered across the room and collapsed together on the bed.
“I’ve missed you so much, babes!” Anna moaned as Michael roughly nibbled her neck, his hands roaming over her body.
#
Their deliciously lengthy lovemaking session had been almost animalistic in its intensity at first, but then became a soft, quiet thing driven by a mutual need to be loved tenderly. Afterwards, they lay cuddling in each other’s arms for the first time in eight years. Anna still could not stop trembling every time her husband gently ran his fingers along her spine. Occasionally she would lightly drag her nails across his muscular chest, an act of vengeance for the wonderful feelings his fingers were producing in her.
“I don’t ever wanna get up,” Michael declared, his tone thoroughly mellow.
“I want you to ‘get up’ as often as possible,” Anna insisted as her hand started to trail seductively down his torso.
Michael quickly, but gently, stopped her. “You’re gonna kill me, woman!”
“No, that’s my father’s job. Always has been, always will be. And I quote; ‘You hurt her one time, Hartnett, and I’ll kill you dead!’ ” Anna said, making sure to imitate her father’s deep voice to the best of her ability when quoting him.
Michael gave a little snort, “I’m not afraid of pops.”
“Ha! You sure acted that way on our first date,” Anna ribbed.
“Wasn’t afraid of him then, either.”
“Oh really?! I remember a nineteen year old VSF private named Michael Hartentt showing up at his CEO’s house to take the man
’s daughter out on a date. I remember hearing how said CEO took the private into the parlor to show him the new scimitar the VSF would be using. I also heard that he warned the private not to keep his daughter out a minute past midnight, following that up with the aforementioned quote. Also heard he held the scimitar in the most threatening manner when he said all this. From what I understand, the strapping young private’s voice cracked like a pubescent teen’s when he acknowledged his CEO,” Anna said with a small grin.
“All hearsay,” Michael casually insisted.
She continued, “Don’t worry; I was there for the rest of it. I remember how the private took the CEO’s beautiful and intelligent daughter to a cinema, and how he was too nervous to even touch her. After the film, the private wouldn’t even take his date out to eat. He took her straight home.”
“Yeah? Well why don’t cha finish the story, then, if your memory’s so sharp.”
“The private told his date he’d had a wonderful time, and that he wanted to see her again. The daughter asked what if her father, who obviously frightened the private, said he couldn’t come back. And the private, wonderful young man he was, said he didn’t care what the CEO said. Said that he would fight anyone in the world for her, even his CEO, and then he kissed her. He didn’t stop kissing her even when the CEO threw open the door and demanded to know what the private was up to,” Anna concluded.
“See, that proves it! The old man caught us kissin’, and I refused to stop, no matter what. I ended up with latrine duty for three months for that stunt, and it was worth every shit-stained second of it. I’d fight anyone or anything for you, Annaliesa, you and James both. You two are my greatest loves,” Michael said.
Anna moved to give her husband a deep, loving kiss. After the kiss ended she gazed down adoringly at the man, “You certainly have a way with words, Michael Hartnett!”
#
It was a mere three days after the happy dinner at Von Raben Manor when the announcement of the president’s death streaked across the Federation. The devastated citizens went into a month-long period of mourning, wearing only black and lighting candles every night in memory of their fallen leader. The president was buried in the ancient Arlington National Cemetery at the foot of a large monument bearing a high relief sculpture of her likeness. Her final request was that the election of a new president be postponed until the Liebe Party was completely eliminated. Frederic knew of this event well in advance and had realized that by keeping the Leibe Party active, he could buy enough time to devise a way to find Del. This, in turn, would allow Abraham and Bert to vote however they chose in the election without incurring the wrath of the Spiders. Though they had not involved themselves in the Leibe Party activities initiated by the Fulsoms, Frederic was certain the Spiders were waiting for the proper moment to strike.
It was during this sad period that Caitlyn once again became pregnant, forcing her to quit the VSF. Nine months later, on the twenty-ninth of April, 3178, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that she and Max named Eve. They both felt some guilt over having another child when they had no knowledge of the fate of their firstborn, but they decided right then to tell their new daughter of her guardian spirit, an older brother that would always watch over her and help keep her safe. They felt this would be a lovely way to honor Del’s memory. Nonetheless, both Max and Caitlyn prayed nightly for a miracle that would keep their son safe and, hopefully, bring him home.
They never imagined that this miracle would take the form of Richard Fulsom.
TWENTY THREE
It was February 11, 3183, and the parade moved down the streets of West Chieftown to the pulsing beat of massive drums carried on the backs of even more massive draft horses. The footfalls of a company of Snake rangers marching in unison accompanied the drums. Following the rangers and the drum horses was a float decorated in green streamers upon which stood a short, bald man who waved to the crowds of exultant citizens lining both sides of the street.
Jesse Garret leaned against a streetlamp, his gaze fixed as his feet as he wondered if any of the Snake citizens in attendance actually cared about the senator the parade was honoring, or if they braved the cold winter morning simply because there was nothing better to do. A Snake ranger patrolling the citizens noticed Jesse and approached him.
“Sir,” the ranger said, “if you’re not here to watch the parade, I’ll have to ask you to move along.”
Jesse smirked and pointed to the small silver badge pinned to the collar of his coat. The ranger quickly stood at attention and gave Jesse a sharp little salute.
“I apologize, sir. Didn’t notice your badge,” the ranger sputtered before hurrying back into the crowd.
Jesse loved the power that the little silver badge embossed with shark’s dorsal fin gave him. Some Shark rangers, in addition to their other duties, were chosen to serve as the main criminal investigation force for the Federation and were given the title “Agent”. It was common knowledge that crossing a Shark agent could cause a person quite a bit of trouble, trouble many tried desperately to avoid. His superiors in one of the West Chieftown law enforcement precincts had sent him to search for signs of Liebe Party activity during the senator’s parade. Jesse had realized, as many had, that the Liebe Party had spent the last decade attacking only Liberty and Veriform corporate holdings. Though it was obvious to all but the former president that both corporations were actually behind the Leibe Party’s actions, her final edict forced the Bull and Shark rangers to spend most of their time trying to weed out the alleged rebel group.
A waste of my damned time, he thought blackly.
With an exasperated sigh, he pushed himself away from the lamppost and headed off to his precinct to make his report. He passed by a group of teenagers and could not help but smile at their stifled giggles and lustful stares. He knew he was an attractive man with a muscular body, a smooth, handsome face, and short blonde hair. His pleasing appearance had helped him with many a case by winning the intimate favor of his suspects, both male and female. He just wished he did not have to spend his time on dead-end cases that offered no chance for him to distinguish himself or further his career.
Oh well, he thought with resignation, it comes with the job.
#
One of Jesse’s superiors once told him that the instant an agent ceases to be a man of the people is the instant he is no longer a skilled investigator. Jesse had remembered those words throughout his four-year career, and now at the age of twenty-two he had obtained the rating of Petty Officer Second Class, and it seemed his career would be a bright one, so long as the Leibe Party conundrum was solved. So, in order to remain a man of the people, he donned a white short sleeved shirt and dark blue trousers and headed for the West Chieftown speakeasy.
The place was crowded with gamblers and bookies on this particular evening. An important sevens rugby tournament was taking place the next day, and all the high rollers wanted a piece of the action. Jesse was amazed by the fact so many people gambled despite the severe punishment they would face if they were ever caught. After giving the room a quick once over, he decided to have a seat at the bar next to a man in fine business attire.
Jesse ordered the cheapest item on the menu of illegal drinks, a drink called a beer, and snuck a glance at the finely dressed man. He felt an unexpected twinge of excitement upon recognizing the man as Richard Fulsom.
Must be slummin’, Jesse told himself.
Jesse studied the embattled CEO and from the way he swayed slightly on his stool and the collection of glasses and bottles on the bar in front of him, he deduced that the man was quite drunk.
I could talk some really great information outta the guy! Jesse realized excitedly. “Quite an exciting day, wasn’t it? A parade and everythin’,” he remarked casually.
“That senator’s a fuggin’ assface!” Richard grumbled.
Jesse maintained his casual attitude, “Why so glum?”
“The presidency should be in my pocket by now, but those
damned Von Rabens and their stupid Liebe Party have locked up the whole election!” Richard griped, “No voting for the presidency until the Liebe Party’s been eliminated! The Bulls say they can’t act against the Von Rabens without proof of their alleged involvement with the Liebe Party, yet the Party only attacks my holdings! Seems like ample proof to me!”
“But the Liebe Party’s also attacked Von Raben property,” Jesse pointed out.
“I orchestrated those attacks with the hope that the Von Rabens would cry off or get caught, but they actually doubled their efforts and have yet to be caught. That ploy’s cost me dearly.”
“Sounds like the Von Rabens are playin’ lowbrow.”
“You fuckin’ know it! I s’pose that’s what I deserve for what we did to them, but they were askin’ for it, the smug bastards.”
“What cha mean?”
“We hired the Spiders to wound Governor Von Raben’s daughter and kidnap Del Von Raben. I know where the little shit is right this minute, and until the Von Rabens and the Floyds start playin’ ball, that boy’ll never see the light of day.”
Jesse’s heart was thudding wildly in his chest. Careful now, he told himself, mustn’t spook ‘em. “There’s really somewhere you can hide a person that well in this day and age?” he asked in an insouciant manner.
“Yeah, just wait till you hear it!” Richard gabbed proudly as he turned to Jesse.
So for the next quarter of an hour, Jesse listened raptly and felt a plan begin to formulate, a wonderfully foolproof plan that would make him a very wealthy man.
#
“Sensei, there’s a Shark agent here to see you. He says it’s important,” Caitlyn’s sempai announced.
Caitlyn had resumed teaching part-time at her dojo once her daughter had started school. It was early morning and she and the sempai were the only ones in the dojo. Caitlyn had been executing a series of katas, choreographed combat technique exercises, at the center of the practice floor, but ceased her activities and turned to her sempai.
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